Pedestrian lost leg when driver's foot slipped off brake, hit gas

KAMLOOPS - A mere slip of the foot by a woman in a store parking lot was all it took for a man to lose part of his leg, a judge heard today.

But Greg Harris, 53, is feeling lucky, nonetheless, and maintains a positive outlook.

"I'm getting around pretty good," says Harris. "I've been positive right from the get-go."

Harris spent nearly seven weeks in hospital after he was hit by a vehicle on his birthday — Dec. 2 — of last year while standing outside Coopers in the Lansdowne Village parking lot. A car was maneuvering into a parking slot, then bolted forward, pinning Harris. He lost the majority of his lower right leg, just below the knee, and now relies on a prosthetic. He continues physical therapy and is on a disability pension, unable to return to his prior job as a pump truck driver.

Despite it all, he maintains, "I am lucky."

Evelyn Jack is accused of hitting Harris. She is charged with driving without due care and attention, and her trial is underway in Kamloops provincial court.

The court heard Crown evidence today of Jack confessing to the crime.

"I saw him there," Jack said in a recorded statement to police after the accident that was played in court. "I hit him and I backed my vehicle up."

"My foot slipped off the brake (and onto the gas)."

The court also heard drugs and alcohol were not a factor in the accident. Jack has Type 2 diabetes but told police she felt fine at the time of the accident. An expert witness who inspected the vehicle after the fact told the court the vehicle passed inspection, and that the brakes and steering were in working order.

Despite Harris' optimism, he said he is confused because Jack, representing herself, admitted the crime to police. She is not questioning Crown witnesses and apologized to him — but yet, has pleaded not guilty.

"I'm anxious," he says. "I'm not sure why we're here."

The trial continues today.

To contact a reporter for this story, email: jwallace@infotelnews.ca, call: (250) 319-7494 or tweet: @jess__wallace

OPINION At least part of me wasn’t sure I should write this, given what happened last time. It was August 15, 2003 and like many Thursdays before it, I was scratching around for a column idea. The summer newsroom